1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transporting mechanism, a movable probe card transporting apparatus using a transporting mechanism, and a prober.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent Reference 1 (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-236909 (claim 1)) discloses an invention for changing probe cards automatically. A stocker which stores a plurality of probe cards and an apparatus which transports the probe cards are arranged in a prober. The transporting apparatus transports the probe cards from the stocker into a prober chamber.
According to the invention disclosed by Patent Reference 1, the stocker and the probe card transporting apparatus are arranged in the prober. This increases the footprint, leading to high cost. When one probe card is shared by some probers as well, the probe card must be transferred to this other prober.
In order to solve the above problems, the present applicant proposed a probe card transporting apparatus in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-051519. This probe card transporting apparatus has a probe card transporting mechanism and connection mechanism. The probe card transporting mechanism can move forward/backward. The connection mechanism connects the probe card transporting mechanism and a prober. The probe card transporting mechanism transports a probe card into the prober. The probe card transporting mechanism further has a carrying mechanism and elevating mechanism. When a probe card is to be transported into the prober, the carrying mechanism carries it to a card clamp mechanism in the prober. After that, the elevating mechanism lifts the probe card upward and attaches it to and detaches it from the card clamp mechanism.
When, however, the probe card transporting apparatus attaches the probe card to and detaches it from the card clamp mechanism, the probe card must be kept parallel to the card clamp mechanism. If the floor surface on which the probe card transporting apparatus is manipulated is slightly tilted, the probe card transporting mechanism and probe card are also tilted. As a result, the probe card may not be able to be transferred to the card clamp mechanism smoothly.